


Take Your Time

by tobiyos



Category: Persona 5
Genre: Akechi Goro is bad with children, Babysitting, Domestic Fluff, Established Relationship, Hair Braiding, M/M, kind of inline with canon, nervous goro and his cool boyfriend
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-13
Updated: 2020-12-13
Packaged: 2021-03-11 01:34:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,624
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28037007
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tobiyos/pseuds/tobiyos
Summary: Oh. Oh, no.Goro is so bad with children.“Who is that?” Goro hisses into his ear. Ryuji pushes at his face until Goro leans away, relegating him to standing by as Ryuji squats down and ruffles the little girl in the doorway’s unruly brown curls.“Neighbor’s kid,” Ryuji explains, smiling as the girl giggles and bats at his hands.--Goro realizes Ryuji is very good at braiding hair.
Relationships: Akechi Goro/Sakamoto Ryuji
Comments: 10
Kudos: 65





	Take Your Time

**Author's Note:**

> Today on: Bunny got an urge to write more Ryuji and hammered out a fic in a few hours
> 
> I saw a bunch of Ryugoro stuff on my twitter tl today and I just. Had an idea. Wanted to write Ryugoro. Yippie!

Goro spends an unsurprising amount of time in Ryuji’s apartment.

Well, technically it’s not _Ryuji’s_ seeing as he lives with his mother, and Goro would be deeply surprised were he to actually find Ryuji’s name on the lease agreement, but what matters is that Ryuji is _there_ , bustling around and fussing as Goro assures him he’s fine, he doesn’t need anything to drink, yes, a movie sounds nice, whatever you want to watch. It’s as endearing as it is annoying, until Ryuji grabs a metric ton of blankets and curls against Goro’s side, propping them both up against the front of his couch. Ryuji leans his head on Goro’s shoulder and winds their fingers together gently, laughing when Goro attempts to inch impossibly closer.

He falls asleep with his head stacked on top of Ryuji’s, nose buried in the yellow tufts of his hair as he dozes, vaguely listening to whatever action number Ryuji has chosen to watch as his breathing evens out. Goro knows the little amount he sleeps isn’t very healthy for him, but it’s difficult to do so peacefully in his empty bed at home when he knows what it feels like to be tucked under Ryuji’s arm.

He gets woken by a light, quick knock to Ryuji’s door, too gentle to be Ryuji’s mother, who’s just about as loud as her son is.

“Who is that?” Goro asks groggily, turning his face in Ryuji’s hair.

“Dunno,” Ryuji says on a yawn. Maybe Goro wasn’t the only one napping. “Lemme go check?”

Goro gives his hand a gentle squeeze. “Can’t you just wait for them to leave?” he complains. Ryuji’s hair is so soft, and his shoulder is warm against Goro’s, and really, it wouldn’t kill them to just let this person wander off and sleep some more.

“Come on, Goro,” Ryuji whispers, and buries his face in the side of Goro’s neck. “It’ll just be a sec.”

“Fine,” Goro sighs. He reluctantly lets go of Ryuji’s hand and watches him pull himself onto his feet. “Waking me would be grounds for a breakup if you weren’t so handsome.”

“I’m glad it’s my looks keeping you around, sunshine,” Ryuji huffs, a hand going to his hip. “Come on,” he says, and reaches down to help Goro up.

Goro climbs to his feet shakily, and then winds a hand in the back of Ryuji’s shirt, letting himself be led towards the front door. There’s another flighty knock, a little louder this time, and Goro presses his forehead to the back of Ryuji’s neck as he swings the door open.

“Who’s— _oof_. Hi!” Goro jolts as Ryuji rocks backwards, like he’s been punched in the stomach. When he glances over Ryuji’s shoulder and down his chest, he’s met with a big, bright grin, brown eyes, and a missing tooth.

“Ryuji nii-chan!”

Oh. Oh, no.

Goro is so bad with children.

“Who is that?” Goro hisses into his ear. Ryuji pushes at his face until Goro leans away, relegating Goro to standing by as Ryuji squats down and ruffles the little girl in the doorway’s unruly brown curls. She can’t be older than seven or eight, clutching a hairbrush in one hand and a tiny, solid colored mirror in the other. Goro has plenty of _experience_ with children, sure, seeing as sometimes new parents arrive at the precinct and think that the young ace detective is _perfect_ babysitting material. Goro knows that the second any child get handed off to him, they either burst into tears or turn into little _monsters_ , telling him he looks like a girl or complaining that Goro is boring.

“Neighbor’s kid,” Ryuji explains, smiling as the girl giggles and bats at his hands. “What’s up, Miyuki?”

“Oh!” she says, like she’s forgotten why she showed up in the first place. “I told my friend I would go over to her house today, but mama went to work before I could get her to do my hair!” Goro snorts as the little girl shoves the brush at Ryuji’s chest. “Can you do the braid thing again?”

Ryuji glances at the brush and then back at Miyuki, face breaking into a little smile that makes Goro feel insufferably fond. “Of course,” he says, with another affectionate hair ruffle. “Come inside. You eat lunch already?”

Miyuki nods big and exaggerated, her hair flopping around her face as she shuffles inside. Goro takes a step back to let her through, and it’s like she’s noticing he’s there for the first time, pushing her hair out of her face to blink big brown eyes up at him. “Nii-chan!” she practically shouts, and Goro presses his mouth into a flat line. “Who’s this?”

“That’s Goro,” Ryuji says, and shuts the door with one hand, the other going out to nudge Miyuki back into the living room. “He’s my boyfriend.”

Goro flushes a bit, still unused to Ryuji acknowledging that they’re dating so publicly, but it feeds the little possessive monster in him just as well as making him feel grossly sweet. “Nice to meet you,” Goro says, and waits for the moment Miyuki picks up on his ‘naturally bad with children’ vibes, but her little face just breaks out in a big smile, a tiny hand going to pap Goro in the leg a few times. “Goro nii-chan is very tall!”

“He is,” Ryuji laughs, directs her to sit on the blankets they were just occupying. “I’m gonna go grab some stuff from my bathroom, okay? Sit right here.”

“Okay!” Miyuki says, and drops right into Goro’s blankets. He pouts. He kind of wanted to use those still.

Unsure of what to do with himself, Goro shuffles towards the couch, sitting on the arm of the chair and making half uncomfortable eye contact with Miyuki, who looks to be sizing him up for scrutiny.

 _Here it comes_ , Goro thinks. _She’ll tell me I look like I smell like beans, or something_.

“Goro nii-chan!” Miyuki shouts, like his name is a declaration on its own.

“Yes?” Goro asks warily.

Miyuki slaps her hands on her legs with a big grin, leaning forward conspiratorially. “I like your hair!” she whisper shouts.

Goro brings a hand up to touch the tips of the hair falling over his shoulders. “My…?”

She nods frantically. “Boys with long hair are really cool! And yours looks really soft!”

“Oh,” Goro says quietly, caught off guard by the praise. “Thank you.”

Miyuki nods again and then gasps, like she’s just realized she’d said something that was supposed to be a secret. “Don’t tell Ryuji nii-chan! She gasps. “I like his hair too! I mean, I like long hair more, but his is very cool!”

“I won’t tell him,” Goro says, laughing quietly. “Promise.”

“Good!” Miyuki shouts, at the same time Ryuji emerges from his bathroom with a victorious, “Found it!”

He’s twirling a little bottle in his fingers that he sets down on the floor next to Miyuki’s crossed legs, kneeling behind her. Shyly, he shoots Goro an apologetic little smile that make his insides flop over. “Sorry, this’ll just take a few minutes.”

“Take your time,” Goro murmurs, and slides down the arm of the couch onto the cushions. “I didn’t know you knew how to do hair.”

“Oh, I don’t really,” Ryuji says, and foams some white substance into his palm. “Miyuki just shows me some videos on how she likes her hair done when I watch her.” He laughs a little self-consciously. “Practice makes perfect, I guess.”

“Nii-chan is the best at braiding!” Miyuki says loudly, and Goro watches as Ryuji’s fingers card through her hair shortly, reaching out to pluck the brush from her little hand. “Mama doesn’t even get my hair as smooth as he does!”

“Miyuki, you’ll hurt your mom’s feeling like that,” Ryuji admonishes. He brushes all of her hair back smooth, the curls puffing up more on each pass through them. Goro watches a little enraptured, impressed by how easily Ryuji works, fingers smoothing and pulling with expert precision.

“But it’s _true!_ ” Miyuki insists. “Whenever you come over and do my hair, I always get compliments from the other girls at school! I still can’t get it right when you show me,” she says, mouth twisting into a little pout.

“You’ll get it one day,” Ryuji promises, and sets the brush down to break her hair into three even looking pieces. Goro watches raptly, impressed by how easily he seems to work, strand over strand as he braids down Miyuki’s hair. Miyuki in turn squirms as if she wants to protest, but Goro gets the distinct feeling this is neither the first nor the last time they’ll have this conversation, so he reserves himself to a laugh, lifting an apologetic hand when Miyuki glares his way.

And Ryuji, in turn, looks _adorable_. His eyes are squinted as his hands work quickly, wrists twisting as he tries to get the right strands to go the same place. Goro smiles when he sticks his tongue out, getting to the end of the braid, trying to thread extra hair from some pieces into others. Goro has never really seen him this focused before—even when Goro tries to help him study—and it makes him warm with affection, smiling as Ryuji finishes with a flourish.

“Do you have a hair tie on you, babe?” Ryuji asks, and Goro pulls the sleeve of his left arm down to toss Ryuji the spare black hair tie he keeps on his wrist. He’s not surprised to see it go into Miyuki’s hair, before Ryuji makes grabby hands at the mirror sitting in Miyuki’s lap.

“Tah-dah!” he announces and holds the mirror up to Miyuki can see her hair. “All done.”

“ _Nii-chan!_ ” Miyuki squeals, hands ghosting over her head like she wants to touch it but is afraid to ruin it. “It looks good! This is the best one ever!”

“Thanks, ‘yuki,” Ryuji laughs. He taps her shoulder with the brush. “Take your hairbrush and have fun with your friend, okay? You can come by later if your mom isn’t there when you get back.”

“Okay!” Miyuki says happily, and whips around to throw her arms around Ryuji’s neck in a hug. Goro snickers at the wide-eyed look of surprise on Ryuji’s face. “See you later, kay?”

“Okay,” Ryuji says, and pats her on the back. Goro’s heart swells at the cute little smile on his face.

Miyuki rocks to her feet, and then turns to Goro with a pointed little finger. “Goodbye, Goro-chan! Don’t break Nii-chan’s heart, okay? Or I’ll tell my mom!”

“Miyuki!” Ryuji squeaks.

“I’ll certainly try,” Goro says on a laugh.

“You better!” Miyuki shouts, and runs for the door.

Goro is still laughing when it shuts with a bang, watching as Ryuji groans into his hands, the tips of his ears red. “Sorry about her,” Ryuji mumbles, as Goro slides to the floor. He puts his hands on Ryuji’s thighs and kisses the back of one of his hands.

“I thought you were very cute, _Ryuji nii-chan._ ”

“Please don’t call me that,” Ryuji wheezes.

Goro laughs and sits back, watching as Ryuji slowly eases his hands away from his face. “Why don’t you braid _my_ hair like that?”

“Do you want me to?” Ryuji asks, with a head tilt. Goro meant it partially as a joke, but he sees Ryuji’s wide eyed eager stare and realizes… well…

“…maybe,” Goro mutters, and then grumbles as Ryuji presses a kiss to his cheek.

“Of course, I can braid your hair, babe! Here, sit, sit,” he pats in front of his knees and Goro takes a seat with a blush, back to Ryuji. “I didn’t know you wanted me to.”

“Me either,” Goro says quietly, arching gently into the way Ryuji runs his fingers through his hair, trying to work out what little tangles are in there. He clears his throat. “I was joking, you know.”

“Oh,” Ryuji says, and the fingers in his hair pause. “Do you want me to stop?”

“No,” Goro says, and leans back against his chest. “I like the way your fingers feel in my hair.”

Ryuji presses a kiss to his shoulder. “Here, hold on, I gotta go grab more hair ties.”

Goro leans forward and waits for Ryuji to return, legs bracketing Goro’s hips as he sits back down. “I didn’t know you babysat,” Goro purrs, as Ryuji’s fingers work through his hair, parting it into little sections.

“Ah, yeah,” Ryuji says quietly. “Miyuki’s just got her mom, like me, so sometimes I go watch her when work runs late.” There’s a sound like Ryuji shrugging. “’s no big deal.”

“Of course, it’s a big deal,” Goro says, leaning into Ryuji’s hand. Leave it to Ryuji Sakamoto to be nauseatingly sweet and brush it off like it’s nothing. “I…” he starts, and then stops. Ryuji doesn’t comment on it, just keeps braiding down one side of Goro’s hair.

“My neighbors used to watch me too, when my mom was out,” he says. Ryuji’s fingers slow for a moment and then keep working, a silent _Go on, I’m listening_. “They knew about our… situation. I still think of them, from time to time.” He folds his hands in front of him. “They were kind of like a second family. I wish I could thank them, now.”

He feels Ryuji finish a braid, and then move to the other side. “Me too,” Ryuji says quietly. He keeps braiding down Goro’s hair quietly, before he says, “Do you ever wish you had a normal childhood?”

“Sometimes,” Goro admits. “Do you?”

“Nah,” Ryuji says, and Goro feels him shake a little bit of his hair out. “It sucked there for a while, but I wouldn’t give up my ma for anything. And it led me to you anyway, so.”

Goro turns his head slightly, just enough to see Ryuji out of the corner of his eye. His cheeks are pink, but he’s not avoiding Goro’s gaze.

“I love you,” Goro says.

Ryuji’s mouth twitches into a smile, his eyes sliding closed. “I love you too, you sap. Turn around. I’m almost done.”

Goro faces forwards again, letting Ryuji start up in his hair again. “Are you crying?” he asks, with a little smile.

“ _No_ ,” Ryuji sniffs, sounding as though he’s definitely crying.

“Done,” he says in a moment, and Goro reaches up to tug at the end of one braid. “Are these different from the ones you gave Miyuki?” he asks and shifts around to face Ryuji. He’s wiping inconspicuously at his face.

“Mhm,” he says on a nod. “They’re two French braids.” He reaches out and tugs at the end of one. “Hehe… pigtails.”

“I like them,” Goro says, and grabs Ryuji by the face to tilt his chin up. “Thank you.”

“Don’t thank me,” Ryuji mutters, nose red. “They’re just dumb little braids.”

“They’re perfect,” Goro says, with a kiss to the tip of his nose. “Like you.”

“Shaddup,” Ryuji huffs, and pushes at his forehead. “You’re so damn embarrassing.” Goro laughs as Ryuji ducks his head, and then yelps when there’s a quick kiss to the corner of his mouth. “Do you wanna finish the movie?” Ryuji asks, hiding his face in Goro’s shoulder. “You can go back to sleep on me if you want.”

“I love you,” Goro says, and presses his nose to the side of Ryuji’s hair. “That sounds wonderful.”

“Dude,” Ryuji says, when Goro comes over days later. “Those aren’t supposed to stay in that long.”

Goro pulls at the end of an unwinding braid, fully aware that they look messy and out of control after days of sleeping with them in. “Really?” he asks, and smiles. “I hadn’t noticed.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! I hope this was as cute as I thought it would be I just got really excited by the idea of Ryuji A. Taking care of the kids that live near his apartment and B. Braiding Goro's hair. It's so long, dude. Like somebody has to braid it.
> 
> Come say hi on [twitter](https://twitter.com/tobi_yos) where I talk about how much I love Ryuji, how hard writing is, and the occasional fun shippy thing. Later!


End file.
